Have you were checked into an Airbnb and been greeted with a gift basket? One of the very best ways to welcome a guest to your vacation rental property is to make them feel special with a thoughtfully-prepared Airbnb welcome basket?
No matter how you choose to build yours, it’s the thought that counts and will make for an exceptional guest experience. Read on to find out what exactly Airbnb welcome baskets are all about.
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What Is an Airbnb Welcome Basket?
An Airbnb welcome basket acts as a gift that welcomes guests to your vacation rental property. It’s a small token to show your guests that you are willing to go above and beyond for them and that you care about them having an enjoyable and memorable experience at your Airbnb.
When guests feel that you have put in extra effort into making your Airbnb more welcoming, they are more likely to think highly of your hosting and leave glowing reviews.
What’s more, if you include gifts that your guests can take home, it will serve as a fond reminder of their stay at your Airbnb, increasing the odds of them making repeat bookings in the future.
What Should I Put in my Airbnb Welcome Basket?
Because an Airbnb welcome basket could include a variety of things, it can be difficult to narrow down what you would like to put in yours. While the main attraction of the baskets would be the gifts and goodies, they are also great vessels for communicating important information.
Here are the main things to include in your Airbnb welcome baskets:
1. A personalized welcome letter
You should write a personalized welcome letter addressed to your guest by name. A welcome letter is how you can communicate essential information about your property to each guest, while simultaneously adding to an exceptional welcoming experience.
Read this guide to have your welcome letter ready in minutes!
2. A guest welcome book
You could also include printed versions of your guest welcome book in your baskets. Providing a printed version is not mandatory, but including one does make it easier to find as soon as your guests walk through the door.
A guest book is a complete guide to your vacation rental property and includes all the information your guests may need to know about the amenities and the surrounding area. Here is a helpful guide on how to impress with your very own welcome book.
Save time by automating your welcome letter and guest book send-outs
To step up your hosting game even more, a digital copy of the welcome letter and guest book can be shared automatically with your guests before they arrive exactly when you need it. Using vacation rental automation software like iGMS makes this possible.
Aside from automated messages, iGMS offers vacation rental automation and management tools that will save you time and money from day one. With iGMS you are able to:
- Manage multiple accounts and listings across the top booking platforms from a single interface
- Automate guest review send-outs
- Connect your Stripe account to iGMS to receive payouts and generate invoices
- Share daily cleaning schedules with your cleaners and auto-assign cleaning tasks
- Manage direct bookings using a direct booking management toolkit
- Create essential reports on your performance and results within minutes
- Take advantage of smart pricing through integrations with PriceLabs, DPGO, and Wheelhouse.
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3. A thoughtful gift
A gift item is the wow factor of Airbnb baskets. This is what makes a guest feel special and welcome in your home. It shows that you have gone beyond just the basic hosting duties to give them an extra special treat, and they will appreciate the extra effort.
It’s important to note that this gift does not have to be pricey. Some inexpensive gift ideas you could include could be a snack, a bottle of wine, toiletries, a book, a coffee mug, etc.
We will discuss some creative and unique ideas for your baskets to get you inspired. But first, let’s take a look at the key guidelines and tips to keep in mind when making your baskets.
How to Create the Ultimate Airbnb Welcome Basket
- Buy in bulk
Buying whatever gifts you can in bulk saves you money in the long run. Once you’ve planned out what you would like to include in your gift baskets, do some research to find out what can be bought in bulk at special discounts. Just make sure you keep track of the expiry dates of food items so that you aren’t giving guests expired snacks!
- Stick to a budget
Decide on the amount of money you’re comfortable spending on your welcome gift before deciding what exactly you’d like to include. This amount would typically be a small proportion of your price per night. The more you charge for your vacation rental per night, the more luxurious your gift can be.
Then, do some research to determine if what you would like to include as a gift fits into your budget. If not, perhaps search for similar brands or related items so that you do not go over budget and start eating into your profits.
- Make it your own
Add a personal touch to your welcome basket either through a handwritten note or by adding a business logo sticker to the gift items. You can create a business logo using a free design tool like Canva, or have it professionally designed by a graphic designer.
Once designed, it is relatively inexpensive to print on small stickers. These stickers look extra professional when added to any snack or stationery that you include on your gift.
- Decorate to impress
A welcome gift can go from good to great if you put a little effort into the decoration. Here are some decoration tips for elevating your gift basket:
- Buy the correct size basket for what it will contain.
- Don’t limit your gift to a physical basket. Other decorative containers work too, like a decorative box or gift bag.
- Go with the theme. If it is for a romantic occasion, for example, decorate with rose petals.
- Use ribbons to either wrap around the base or handle of the baskets or to wrap around specific gifts like a bottle of wine.
- Use tissue paper or shredded decorative confetti at the bottom to give it a fuller look and to lift the contents higher to make it more visible.
- Place fresh flowers, or pretty leaves like a eucalyptus branch, in between the items in the gift to give a flower garden effect.
- Search sites like Pinterest that can give you decoration ideas.
10 Airbnb Welcome Basket Gift Ideas to Make Your Guests Feel Special
Here are some of our best ideas that you can go for:
1. The Sweet and Simple Surprise
There’s nothing wrong with keeping things simple. Including a few simple gifts still adds a thoughtful touch to your basket. This could be a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, and a gift card to a nearby cafe.
2. The Budget Basket
For the host who wants to add a personal touch with the essentials, but does not want to spend a fortune, this is a perfect option. A cost-effective idea could be to include a few tasty snacks or a mug filled with cookies, chocolate, or other small treats.
Another idea would be to add things you would have included in your guests’ room anyway, but make it part of your welcome basket instead. This could be anything from toiletry essentials like shampoo, lotion, and toothpaste, to a bouquet of fresh flowers from your garden or from a local flower store.
3. The Celebration for Special Occasions
Draw inspiration from Airbnb guests who may be celebrating a birthday during their stay or have just gotten married and have chosen to honeymoon at your vacation rental house. You could include a cake, a bottle of champagne, and some celebratory balloons.
What’s great about both the balloons and the cake is they can be customized to the occasion. Balloons with a “congratulations” or “happy birthday” caption are very easy to find. And, if you’re ordering a cake from a bakery, they would be happy to write a message on the cake for you too.
4. The Choco-Coffee Basket
Chocolate and coffee are a match made in heaven. It hints at luxury and indulgence without breaking the budget. It also comes in so many different flavors and varieties to keep things interesting. Having your baskets filled with luxury chocolate and coffee will invite holiday-goers to relax and indulge during their vacation.
5. The Health-Nut’s Dream
If your Airbnb features hiking trails or activities that cater to sporty and active guests, your gift could echo this theme. You could include water bottles, energy drinks, and healthy snacks like nuts, fruit, and protein bars.
Consider partnering with a local service that offers meal delivery with low calories to provide your guests an option for a nutritious, hassle-free dining experience. By including a voucher or discount code for this service in your welcome basket, you’ll cater to those who prioritize their health even while traveling.
6. The Local Showcase
If the area of your Airbnb property is known for producing a certain product that easily doubles as a gift, it’s a good idea to include it in your basket. This adds a thoughtful touch because it allows them to experience a little bit of the culture of your area.
It could be something like honey, maple syrup, olive oil, artisanal wine or bread, or fresh local-grown fruits and vegetables. Pair the local produce with complementary items to fill out your baskets and give your guests a well-rounded experience. For example, if you are including artisanal bread, include some spreads and cheeses to go along with it. Or if you’re including honey, pair it with some fresh yogurt, fruit, and granola for them to eat as a complete breakfast dish.
7. The Self-Care Spa Experience
You could give your guests baskets offering luxurious toiletries for the guests’ stay, to encourage them to relax and rejuvenate.
Some ideas for what to include could be:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Toothpaste
- Soap bars
- Body wash
- Bubble bath
- Body lotion
- Hand wash
- Scent diffuser
- Scented candle
- Sleeping masks
- Face masks.
8. The Family-Friendly Basket
This family-friendly option involves giving a welcome gift that has something special for every member of the family. You could include wine for the parents and then hot chocolate or juice boxes for the children.
You could also put something for the whole family to enjoy, like a tub of ice cream with a few toppings. Another smart addition is to include information about activities in the area to do as a family, like theme parks or popular beaches.
9. The On-The-Go Companion
If your Airbnb is located close to a popular tourist attraction, including items relating to that activity is an excellent way to encourage them to participate.
For example, if your Airbnb is close to a nice beach, your welcome basket could be a beach bag filled with sunscreen, hats or sun visors, and an inflatable beach ball.
10. The Extra-Extravagance Basket
For luxury Airbnbs, an extravagant welcome basket with premium gifts adds to the lavish experience. Here are some luxury items you could include:
- High-end wine or champagne
- A DIY co*cktail kit
- Sweet treats like chocolate dipped strawberries
- A cheese or charcuterie board
- Chocolate or caramel covered nuts
- Luxury toiletries
- Fluffy robes
- A guide to the fine-dining restaurants in the area.
Do All Vacation Rental Hosts Need to Give Their Guests Welcome Baskets?
Giving your Airbnb guests a welcome basket is not mandatory, however, even a small inexpensive gift can make a big difference to your guests and may be worthwhile to consider. It shows guests that they have a caring host and that you pay attention to the finer details.
However, providing Airbnb baskets may only make sense if you host longer stays. If guests are only booking a single-night stay, it may be too time-consuming and not worth the effort.
If your Airbnb guests have booked stays for two nights or longer, providing baskets would be a smart addition to your welcoming routine.
By doing so, you can foster a good reputation in vacation rental circles and also earn more positive reviews on travel sites like Airbnb as a result of our welcome baskets.
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About the Author
Callan Riddles is the Content and Social Media Specialist atiGMS. Callan has a passion for finding new ways to help vacation rental businesses thrive. In her free time, she loves to travel, read, and experience all the new things that life has to offer.
